Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninove and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninove and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Ninove vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,196 per month in Ninove vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Ninove vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ninove costs about 150% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ninove sits 59% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.74 €19.42

$1.96 ฿63.6

1060.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 €102

$18.81 ฿611

534.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.66 €10.81

$7.92 ฿258

59.85%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.49

$1.91 ฿62.2

114.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.93

$0.84 ฿27.25

309.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.61

$0.35 ฿11.44

771.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 €4.49

$2.21 ฿71.7

138.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.87

$3.80 ฿124

19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.64 ฿53.2

-17.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.62 ฿52.8

25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.33

$1.18 ฿38.40

131.36%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.40

$2.01 ฿65.4

98.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 €15.15

$15.89 ฿517

11.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 €10.22

$3.01 ฿98.0

297.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.08 €18.00

$10.77 ฿350

95.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.41

$2.61 ฿85.0

8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.07

$1.22 ฿39.65

98.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.70 ฿55.4

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.94

$1.58 ฿51.2

118.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €1.99

$1.32 ฿42.89

77.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.17 ฿38.01

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.20

$0.67 ฿21.85

110.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$0.56 ฿18.21

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 €10.83

$4.53 ฿147

179.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 €7.96

$18.20 ฿592

-48.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.83 ฿59.6

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.64

$3.23 ฿105

-40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.54

$0.89 ฿28.83

233.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 €47.97

$19.38 ฿630

189.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.83

$1.35 ฿43.95

318.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.16

$1.35 ฿43.79

87.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.20 €39.45

$8.25 ฿268

460.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.27 ฿41.40

42.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.2K €30.9K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

71.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.7K €27.9K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

45.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$204 €174

$70.2 ฿2,281

190.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.92 €21.29

$13.77 ฿448

80.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €43.35

$17.60 ฿572

188.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 €32.79

$41.57 ฿1,352

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 €14.38

$6.60 ฿215

155.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 €12.01

$5.78 ฿188

143.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$635 €543

$306 ฿9,953

107.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.7K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-7.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 €70.0

$54.4 ฿1,768

50.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 €42.09

$26.14 ฿850

88.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.4

$84.5 ฿2,748

36.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$232 €198

$69.4 ฿2,257

234.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €769

$424 ฿13.8K

112.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 €638

$238 ฿7,743

213.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 €1,179

$825 ฿26.8K

67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €957

$515 ฿16.7K

117.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 €3,174

$2,049 ฿66.6K

81.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,669 €2,279

$1,523 ฿49.5K

75.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

-34.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ninove: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Ninove versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Ninove versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ninove vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninove costs about 150% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,190 per month in Ninove and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $635 per month in Ninove and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Ninove, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Ninove at $2,127. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ninove it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $2,127 in Ninove. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ninove makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.